Principal's Report

Modular Building Project

In the 2019-20 State Budget, the Victorian Government allocated $5.033 million to replace the main building as part of the Asbestos Removal Modular Building Program. For some months teachers and school council have been working with the Victorian Building Authority (VSBA), Sensum (Project Managers), Architects (Brand) and the successful tender Modscape to finalise the design of the building.

We are excited to be able to share some images of our new building.

The new building will consist of:

8 classrooms
Wet area spaces
STEM and kitchen area
Central meeting place including the library
Additional breakout and resource spaces
New toilets that will have internal and external exit and entry points
Staff office spaces
Conference room
Storerooms both internal and external to house equipment and resources
A roof that is able accommodate solar panels (the school is looking to making an investment to install solar panels as soon as possible to be more energy efficient and reduce our carbon footprint)

This is the floor plan:

Demolition of the current building is scheduled to occur in the Term 2 holidays including the removal of asbestos. Our school site will be closed at this time to the community while these works are done. The expected completion date is 11 September 2020.

Online Learning Survey

Thank you to the school community for your responses to our online learning survey. We had 132 responses which is fantastic. Staff met last night to discuss the feedback. We are working through some processes to improve our communication with parents individually and with students using Google Meets (with 5/6 students) and extending our use of Webex Teams with students and families. We will inform you as those changes occur.

Oval

The school oval is almost complete! These photos were just taken prior to the final clean-up of the area and before the goal posts were installed. The oval is a huge improvement and will be greatly appreciated by the students when they return to school. I’d like to thank the Victorian Government for funding for the project; the support of Steve Dimopoulos, Member for Oakleigh and Heang Tak, member for Clarinda; Education and Future Directions Sub-Committee for their contribution in securing funding; former school councillor Brad Shannon, teacher Brett Herskope and Assistant Principal Naomi Mori-Hanazono for their input into the project; Katz Architecture for designing the oval, the Victorian School Building Authority for overseeing the project and Grass Sports for building the oval. It has been a huge undertaking and I can’t wait to see our children actually playing on our oval!

Curriculum Day

Last year School Council approved a Curriculum Day for 6 May. Due to the current COVID19 situation, with face to face professional development unable to occur and the planned presenter unable to deliver the program remotely, School Council approved that the Curriculum Day be rescheduled to Friday 31 July in Term 3. Please put this date in your diary. Team Kids will run a full day program for students on the day. Please see the Team Kids website.

Visiting the School Grounds

Just a reminder that in the current COVID19 climate the school grounds have restricted use. Only students attending the school for onsite learning, Team Kids staff and Huntingdale staff can be onsite. The oval and playgrounds are not in use. Cleaning, maintenance and delivery workers can also be onsite to complete their allocated jobs. Parents should only visit the school if they have prearranged this e.g. to pick up hard copy materials. If you need to visit the school please telephone first to explain the reason of your visit. After school hours the school grounds should not be in use. We strongly discourage families visiting the school and remind them they may be in breach of current COVID19 regulations.

Victorian Governments Free Sanitary

Dispenser Program

In the 2019-20 State Budget the Victorian Government pledged that all schools would receive free sanitary products for female students to use. I am pleased to say that our dispenser has been delivered and is in the Health Centre. Students are able to come to the office and confidentiality ask Naomi, Gill, Rosella or I if they need any of these materials.

Ruth Biddle

Principal

Assistant Principal's Report

The mood of autumn and the quality of the air is so different, and the cooler mornings and evenings are bringing a wintry feel. And then we have these bright sunny fresh days with beautiful blue skies!

I hope these beautiful nature events help to brighten your days during this difficult time.

Remote Learning

Thank you to everyone for working together for our children’s learning. I know some of you are struggling to support your children‘s learning in Japanese and verse versa in English. Yes, I agree that it is important to be onsite for language learning especially, but our teachers are trying their best to create video clips to give instruction orally and visually through our online learning portals.

I have seen students’ work via Seesaw and it is great to see the learning happening at home with support of parents. I can see great partnerships in student’s learning between home and school (teacher’s workplace at home).

How can I help my child if I don’t

know the language?

Our teachers know that most parents don’t understand the target language (Japanese). Indeed, immersion programs were designed specifically for children of unilingual parents. You can help make your child’s second-language experience positive and lasting by being supportive and enthusiastic. Research shows that students whose parents have positive attitudes towards the target language do better in immersion programs. Remember that most skills learned in the first language are transferred to the second. Read to your children, encourage writing, and introduce language word games like crossword puzzles, word searches, Scrabble and Password in your home language. Provide opportunities to use the target language outside of the classroom: borrow or buy books and videos, watch second-language TV with your child, and expose your child to second-language events and activities like plays, interest courses, and sport activities.

This is a good opportunity for parents to see how children learn a language at school. Even though students won’t understand the teachers’ instruction fully, they use the visual cues and the prior knowledge to support their understanding. This is why they will get the cognitive benefit through immersion learning.

Their work does not need to be perfect. Please encourage your child to pick up some key words and then try to work out the message. They can upload their work with their personal best. Teachers will support their learning by giving feedback via Seesaw.

I also would like to acknowledge the teachers coming in to support onsite learning as well.

I understand how difficult it is to keep up with your own children as well as you work at home.

If you are finding it difficult and need support, please feel free to contact me at school. I’m at school every day.

Naomi Mori-Hanazono

Assistant Principal

Huntingdale Primary School

Our Values- Kindness, Courage, Creativity and Personal Best

Issue 8 · 12 May 2020

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